Complexity is often a mask for bullshit. Value from simplicity is huge – easy to pitch to anyone from investors to press to new hires to your family. It also makes the success conditions clear – "Am I accomplishing the simple thing I set out to do? No? Let's fix that."
The ultimate merit of simplicity means that roles are very, very clear and you don't need many people to make magic happen. The more people you add to a system, the larger the chance for complexity to creep in and ruin everything.
Which, incidentally, is what seems to have struck Digg.
If they'd stayed small and nimble, the size Kevin liked, they'd not be stuck in quicksand right now.
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You need a couple of developers, a sysadmin, a designer, some sales guys. Am I missing any other roles?
Don't get sucked into the fallacy of thinking something has little value just because the core idea is very simple.
The absolute best ideas are simple ones.
Complexity is often a mask for bullshit. Value from simplicity is huge – easy to pitch to anyone from investors to press to new hires to your family. It also makes the success conditions clear – "Am I accomplishing the simple thing I set out to do? No? Let's fix that."
The ultimate merit of simplicity means that roles are very, very clear and you don't need many people to make magic happen. The more people you add to a system, the larger the chance for complexity to creep in and ruin everything.
Which, incidentally, is what seems to have struck Digg.
If they'd stayed small and nimble, the size Kevin liked, they'd not be stuck in quicksand right now.
I don't think he was saying that. He was saying that a simple idea didn't need dozens of people.